CELTIC FROST: Finalizing The Infrastructure Around New Album - July 18, 2005

CELTIC FROST frontman Tom Gabriel Fischer has posted the following message on his official blog:

"As we approach the final, very intense stretch on the path to completion of this album, there are the CELTIC FROST-typical numerous and very vocal ponderings which center around assessments of music and progress, procedure, ideology, song selection, and so on. In many ways, this is as typical and important to the existence of this group as the music itself. And it is crucial in maintaining a fundamental bond to our history.

As we finalize the infrastructure around the album with regard to a variety of industry partners, our management requested that we provide further production demos to facilitate final negotiations and showcase what this project will sound like. But before sending the 20-plus CDs to Berlin, we took time out last night to consecrate every single copy by physically putting them in contact with the original cover of HELLHAMMER's 'Triumph of Death' demo, which Martin [Ain, bass] preserves at our rehearsal studio.

"For this is no less momentous to us all than the release of that demo was almost exactly 22 years ago."

As BLABBERMOUTH.NET first reported on June 16, CELTIC FROST have selected HYPOCRISY/PAIN mainman Peter Tägtgren to co-produce their long-awaited comeback effort, tentatively titled "Dark Matter Manifest". The band willl enter Horus Sound Studio in Hannover, Germany on August 1 to begin recording their first collection of new material since 1990's "Vanity/Nemesis". Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Obscured", "Incantation against You", "Ain Elohim" and "Temple of Depression".

CELTIC FROST, who have been mixing new demo material at Oakland Recording in Winterthur, Switzerland, have yet to secure a record deal for their upcoming CD.

[Dit bericht is gewijzigd door Mutilator op 20-07-2005 3:08]

The quality of our perceptions determines the quality of our judgement. Our judgement determines how we interact with the world. How we interact with the world changes the world. So, the quality of our perceptions changes the world.

The quality of our perceptions determines the quality of our judgement. Our judgement determines how we interact with the world. How we interact with the world changes the world. So, the quality of our perceptions changes the world.

CELTIC FROST frontman Tom Gabriel Fischer has posted the following message on his official blog:

"One of the major merchandisers in the music industry, one whose work had been recommended to us by other bands and whom we favored up to this point to become an imminent partner to CELTIC FROST, deemed it appropriate to spice their most recent contract correspondence to our management with the proposal to screw over one of our most important mentors, H.R. Giger.

"When we, then still in HELLHAMMER, approached Giger in early 1984 to ask him whether he would be inclined to collaborate with us and, if so, what his conditions would be, we were fervent fans of his work but our band was still almost totally unknown and without any funds to actually purchase the rights to any of his paintings. We felt inexorably drawn to Giger's dark art and felt there were parallels between it and our work, as pretentious as this was for a bunch of inexperienced extreme metal kids.

"But Giger's reaction surpassed even our vivid imagination. He not only offered us the free album cover use of the glorious 'Satan I', the painting we had inquired about, but, astonishingly, suggested we also use a second painting from his exceptional 'Victory' period, equally free of charge. His only condition was that we would refrain from exploiting these works in any other manner, namely as merchandise. We agreed and never broke the oath, to this day.

"The result was the 'To Mega Therion' album, arguably the most important release in CELTIC FROST's history. The combination of Giger's art and the album's dark musical blend of classical elements and metal is the cornerstone of what is now perceived to be CELTIC FROST's legacy and part of death/black metal history. In short, the album and Giger's mentorship significantly shaped CELTIC FROST.

"There have always been those eager to exploit the 'To Mega Therion' Giger cover as merchandise. There exist what seem like a million bootlegs, some even manufactured by past affiliates. I suppose this was unavoidable, but it has always infuriated me. We have made a promise to Giger.

"Into this situation comes this particular merchandiser, keen to work with us for quite some time. Of course they badly want a 'To Mega Therion' t-shirt in the merchandising line. Ignoring the facts we communicated to them, they still advocate the production of the t-shirt: '… seriously, I think [Giger] would NEVER know anyway and this would be a great shirt, there [are] plenty of bootlegs around on this also …' In other words, they intend to coerce us, the band, into mandating the production and sale of a bootleg, screwing Giger over behind his back to thank him for his incredible help. And perhaps they would even do it without our blessing (and knowledge).

"I can almost taste the irrepressible greed that oozes out of every word. And whether or not Giger would 'NEVER know' — and how utterly disrespectful to assume his ignorance! — is not even the issue. Well, we knew what industry we would encounter when we all got together to write a new CELTIC FROST album. It's heartwarming to see nothing has changed in all those years."

As previously reported, CELTIC FROST have set "Dark Matter Manifest" as the tentative title of their first album in 13 years. The culmination of some three and a half years of songwriting and recording work, the album was largely produced by the band themselves and financed by their own production company, with additional assistance from HYPOCRISY/PAIN mastermind Peter Tägtgren during the final recording and mixing sessions at Horus Sound Studio in Hanover, Germany. Negotiations with a variety of labels are currently underway, and the album is scheduled for a release in early 2006. Original CELTIC FROST members Tom Gabriel Fischer (voice and guitars) and Martin Eric Ain (bass) are joined by Erol Unala (guitar) and Franco Sesa (drums). The band are now managed by Antje Lange for The A Label in Berlin, Germany.

[Dit bericht is gewijzigd door Mutilator op 19-10-2005 20:35]

The quality of our perceptions determines the quality of our judgement. Our judgement determines how we interact with the world. How we interact with the world changes the world. So, the quality of our perceptions changes the world.

The quality of our perceptions determines the quality of our judgement. Our judgement determines how we interact with the world. How we interact with the world changes the world. So, the quality of our perceptions changes the world.

The quality of our perceptions determines the quality of our judgement. Our judgement determines how we interact with the world. How we interact with the world changes the world. So, the quality of our perceptions changes the world.